MUBENDE NOVEMBER 10, 2026: Police in Mubende have taken a 19-year-old woman into custody over the suspected killing of a two-year-old boy who was found dead at his aunt’s residence.
The child, Tumugonze Mugenyi, aged two years and six months, died at a home in Kirungi Cell, South Division, Mubende Municipality, where his mother had left him under the care of relatives.
The suspect, Rose Kamukune, is alleged to have strangled the toddler. Wamala Region Police spokesperson SSP Lameck Kigozi said detectives had arrested her as they investigated the circumstances of the child’s death.
Police say the incident happened on November 8, 2026, after the boy’s mother, Turinzire Birungi, 26, left him at her sister’s home before going to work.
Birungi, who earns a living selling chips, returned the following morning. At around 10 am on November 9, she was on her way to pick up her son when Kamukune called, asking her to rush to the house and take the child to hospital.
She arrived to find the boy lying on a bed, covered with a blanket. He was unresponsive, and faecal matter was smeared on his body.
The mother bathed him and hurried to a nearby health facility, where a nurse pronounced him dead.
The body was later taken back to the residence. Birungi subsequently received information from neighbours alleging that Kamukune had strangled the child and reported the matter to Mubende Central Police Station.
Police homicide detectives, accompanied by a Scene of Crime Officer, visited the home, documented the scene, and recorded statements from witnesses.
The toddler’s body was transferred to the mortuary at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Kigozi said the suspect had been arrested while investigations continued to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
He also urged parents who work at night to make safe arrangements for their children, particularly toddlers who require constant attention. Those who leave children with relatives or other caregivers were advised to ensure they are placed under responsible supervision.
Police said inquiries into the suspected murder are continuing.
